McKinsey searches for Kenya dealmaker

Corporate News

McKinsey & Company worldwide managing director Dominic Barton. The consultancy firm is seeking a public sector proposal manager for Nairobi. AFP PHOTO 

By DAVID HERBLING, hdavid@ke.nationmedia.com

In Summary

• McKinsey & Co is seeking a Nairobi point man to pursue tenders for public sector reforms, social and healthcare sectors in the region.
• McKinsey’s search for a local dealmaker comes after the agency opened its Nairobi regional hub in August last year.
• The global consulting firm is also hiring public sector analysts for the Nairobi office in a bid to deepen its capacity to handle complex advisory tenders.

Global consultancy McKinsey & Co has launched the search for its Nairobi point man, who will be charged with scouting for advisory deals in the East African region.

The international firm, mainly known for advising companies and government agencies on management strategies and cost cutting measures, is seeking a consultant to pursue tenders for public sector reforms, social and healthcare sectors.

McKinsey said the incoming public sector proposal manager will be tasked with hunting for consultancy jobs at national and county governments as well as in State agencies.

“The proposal manager will gather intelligence about upcoming procurements for which McKinsey might be well suited to compete,” the firm said in a notice.

McKinsey’s search for a local dealmaker comes after the agency opened its Nairobi regional hub in August last year, eyeing business opportunities in Kenya and the neighbouring countries.

The global consulting firm is also hiring public sector analysts for the Nairobi office in a bid to deepen its capacity to handle complex advisory tenders.

READ: McKinsey opens Nairobi office with eye on East Africa

The successful candidate will “work exclusively with governments, donors and senior leaders in civil service on transformational challenges in economic development by building capabilities, overseeing transformation and delivering policy solutions,” reads the job description.

The decision to beef up its public sector practice will help McKinsey diversify revenue and cut reliance on the private sector where it has won multiple deals to restructure Kenyan companies.

McKinsey has previously bagged tenders to offer restructuring advisory services to Co-operative Bank, Britam, East African Breweries Limited, National Bank and KCB.

The firm is known as the global “Mr Fix-it” for companies and governments, and is mostly synonymous with job cuts whenever it undertakes corporate restructuring.

The move to shore up McKinsey’s public sector practice prepares the firm to battle with rival consultants such as Deloitte & Touche, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), Ernst & Young, KPMG and Kroll.

The devolution and Planning ministry is currently in search of a firm to conduct a forensic audit to identify malpractices and clean Kenya’s public service payroll.

The social welfare sector presents opportunities such as in the planned use of technology to roll out State-funded social assistance programmes.